В“School ReunionВ” has an interesting if quickly resolved story, new aliens with a suitably grand goal and a creative way of achieving that goal, and some good performances from all involved. I do have some issues with characterization, but IВ’ll come to those in a moment.

I think this is the first time the 45 minute format really seemed too short to me. So many ideas and story threads are crammed into this episode, but itВ’s not as though they arenВ’t dealt with. ItВ’s just that every little plot idea is shown and resolved so rapidly that the episode really does feel rushed. ThereВ’s no dramatic process of discovery, where events proceed and I as the audience have time to think about and mentally digest the latest plot revelation before the next one comes along. Everything is thrown at the audience at a break-neck pace. This approach doesnВ’t derail the story by any means, but itВ’s just not as emotionally satisfying as I would like.

That being said, at least the story isnВ’t dull. The Doctor is already in place and investigating when the story opens, which is new ground for the series, and also indicative of the generally rushed pace of events. ItВ’s hilarious that Rose is working in the school kitchen and that sheВ’s clearly resentful of that fact! It doesnВ’t take long figure out that something is amiss in the school, as demonstrated by the genius kid in the DoctorВ’s physics class and the odd cooking oil in the kitchen.

Then during the chat in the teacherВ’s lounge one of my favorite companions is added to the mix: Sarah Jane Smith. IВ’ve been looking forward to this episode ever since I heard that Elisabeth Sladen would been guest starring. And John Leeson is back voicing K9 as well! And while itВ’s wonderful to see the two characters again, the characterization of Sarah is the part of this episode that bothers me. I donВ’t want to criticize said characterization, since apparently Mrs. Sladen felt that the writers had treated Sarah well, but itВ’s just sad to think that she had pined away for the Doctor for thirty years. ThatВ’s not the strong independent Sarah Jane I remember. I imagine it would be very difficult to go back to an ordinary life after all those experiences and adventures sheВ’d had, but to have denied herself a family and a life of her own is just sad, and frankly a little tough to believe. IВ’d rather they hadnВ’t gone that route with her story. Especially when itВ’s patently obvious that Sarah is being treated in part as an object lesson for Rose as much as a character in her own right. That isnВ’t sad, itВ’s downright irritating.

The first meeting between the Doctor and Sarah where he knows her but she doesnВ’t recognize him is lovely, as heВ’s clearly delighted to see her again, and as proud as he can be of her. David Tennant just does an outstanding job in that scene. Later on when they meet in the school and head down to the diner, heВ’s clearly enjoying her company, though Rose is not. Now here I have to say that though IВ’ve generally liked Rose up to this point, her little jealous fits are becoming very irritating. So much so that IВ’d just as soon she left the show than put up with having to watch them over and over. ItВ’s bad enough when sheВ’s throwing the evil eye at Lynda with a y, but when she starts criticizing Sarah Jane itВ’s too much. Grow up and get over it already. In this fanВ’s view, if it comes down to a choice between Rose and Sarah Jane, Sarah wins every time.

Is it me, or is В“The Five DoctorsВ” pretty much ignored? ItВ’s odd with all the continuity thatВ’s on display that Sarah pretty much acts as if she hasnВ’t seen the Doctor since he dropped her off in what turned out to be Aberdeen. I suppose that in В“The FIve DoctorsВ” she did spend the majority of her time with the third Doctor, who of course hadnВ’t been the one who dropped her off and left, but she did meet the fifth briefly. Perhaps we could rationalize it away by saying that she didnВ’t realize he was the В‘successorВ’ to her Doctor. But then thereВ’s the presence of K9, who the Doctor obviously left for her some time after he dropped her off, so she would have known he hadnВ’t died. I think that in order to write the story he wanted to, Toby Whithouse had to ignore the fact that Sarah had already had some closure, and had to play fast and loose with the old series in order to make something more out of the В‘best friendsВ’ that the fourth Doctor and Sarah were. I get the feeling that like so many people today, the writers of this show have a hard time conceiving of a close friendship that doesnВ’t involve romance and sex, which shows a lack of imagination on their part, to say the least. As I said before, turning Sarah into the victim of unrequited love so she can be a sad old spinster and a object lesson to Rose is certainly not respectful of the character, or faithful to the past.

All of that being said, Sarah is still one of my all-time favorites, and the use of her character, above complaints excepted, is good enough that I still enjoyed her inclusion in the episode tremendously. And the В‘real goodbyeВ’ at the end is touching, and IВ’m glad to see she finally got that goodbye.

Poor K9 is all rusty and not working well. But Sarah is still carrying him around, and the Doctor is happy to see him again, and Tennant just does so well in expressing his delight that itВ’s infectious. The little dog is as endearing as ever, though he doesnВ’t get a lot of time on screen, he is crucial to resolving the plot and ending the Krillitane threat. HeВ’s a brave little fellow, and IВ’m glad I knew he was coming back at the end of the episode, or IВ’d have been really unhappy when he sacrificed himself to blow up the school. As it is, he gets some of the best lines, telling Mickey several times В“We are in a carВ”, and his smug little В“AffirmativeВ” to the HeadmasterВ’s В“You bad dog!В” I was just grinning like a little kid again when he comes to the rescue in the cafeteria and starts shooting down Krillitane.

I really enjoyed Anthony HeadВ’s performance as well. I remember him from the Excelis audios that Big Finish released a few years back, where he was quite good as Lord Grayvorn. HeВ’s just as good here, with his distinctive voice and restrained mannerisms. Then he gets angry and looks rather fiendish, and clearly seems to be having fun in the part of an evil alien school headmaster who eats students. HeВ’s a good strong bit of casting which I think was certainly needed in a story with so much going on. A less distinctive actor might well have been lost in the shuffle or just outshone by Sarah and K9В’s return.

The coda at the end is welcome, as Sarah gets to see the TARDIS and comment that she В‘preferred the old oneВ’, and turn down an offer to travel again. ItВ’s good to see the Doctor express his affection for her so openly. Most of the time I prefer the Doctor to be reserved, but not in this case. SarahВ’s obvious happiness at seeing K9 again is well performed, and the scene elicited a bit В“awwwwwВ” out of my wife, who didnВ’t know it was coming.

As for David Tennant, he put in another fine performance. His acting is first rate from start to finish. As is the episode itself. ItВ’s not perfect by any means, and I have other minor nitpicks besides the characterization of Sarah, but generally speaking the story is good and works quite well. One of my favorites of the new season.

We knew this was coming for a while. We had the return of Cassandra and her spiders, the return of the “celebrity historical”… but we were all waiting patiently for this episode. The return of the old friends. I was doubly excited to learn that this episode would take place in a comprehensive school. I can’t tell you how much I’ve wanted to see a Doctor Who story in this setting. It took far too long, if you ask me. And, of course, Anthony Stewart head as the main villain… what more could one ask of a Doctor Who story?

After an excellent opening, weВ’re straight into the action. The Doctor and Rose are already on the caseВ… a rarity in these modern narratives, but I feel they always work well. The look on RoseВ’s face all through the school-dinner scene is just priceless. WeВ’re heading into В“rompВ” territory here, with MickeyВ’s undercover work and the strange demise of a dinner-lady (and В“SheВ’s fineВ… she does thatВ” is my favourite comic line in this series so far). But right on time, we get our dose of drama, when our old friend Sarah Jane Smith walks down the stairs and into the staffroom. When the Doctor looks up and sees herВ… well, canВ’t you just see the character behind his eyes? True, David Tennant was starstruck by Lis SladenВ’s presence, but in the context of the story, this is the Doctor incredibly happy to see his old friend again. The Time Lord just canВ’t contain himself when she simply strides up to him and shakes his hand like heВ’s a strangerВ… which, as far as she knows, he is. But the Doctor knows better, and he canВ’t stop beaming. HeВ’s even happier to find out Sarah Jane is investigating again. Some things never change.

That night, the DoctorВ’s В“teamВ” sneaks back into the school, as does our intrepid journalist. First she discovers a hauntingly familiar blue box, then sheВ’s confronted with a very serious-looking Doctor, marvellously wearing his long coat (I guess it makes him more familiar as the Doctor). Once again, I can see every previous incarnation behind his eyes. ItВ’s a disarming feeling. Of course, SarahВ’s a smart woman, and he hasnВ’t completely disarmed her. She wants to know why he left her, and naturally, he skirts around the subject. Well, wouldnВ’t you? Luckily for our Doctor, theyВ’re soon joined by the rest of the В“gangВ”, and the plot thickens. ItВ’s a very simple plot so far В– bat-like aliens have taken over the school for some reason В– but itВ’s clear that the alien plot doesnВ’t matter too much. WeВ’re here for Sarah. Still, itВ’s too bad the creatures donВ’t look more realistic. After last yearВ’s Reapers, and last episodeВ’s wonderful CGI werewolf, I expected The Mill to come up with something slightly less cartoon-like. Oh, well. Like I said, weВ’re not here for that. ItВ’s the girl we want.

And, of course, the tin dog. Bless the tin dog. Even if weВ’ve laughed at you for twenty-five years, K9, weВ’re still happy youВ’re back. What can I say? WeВ’re fans. WeВ’re hypocritical. John Leeson doesnВ’t sound like heВ’s missed a day of filming В– let alone a couple of decades. Meanwhile, Mickey is in Smug Mode with Rose. ThatВ’s very cute, but I canВ’t believe how jealous Rose is. Okay, she didnВ’t realise she was В“the latest in a long lineВ”, but the Doctor is over nine centuries old В– obviously heВ’s had a life before her. I far prefer MickeyВ’s subplot hereВ… yes, heВ’s the tin dog. And suddenly, I love him for it. Rose has been quite callous towards Mickey, if you think about it. IВ’m beginning to prefer him to Rose. Yikes.

Finally, we have a scene between the Doctor and Mr Finch. Anthony Head is incredible in this roleВ… he seems so comfortable in the world of Doctor Who, and I do hope the production team find some way to resurrect his character. ItВ’s a crying shame that he was sidelined so much in this story, but being the wonderful actor that he is, he managed to stick in my memory more than any villain in this new version of the programme so far. You can keep your Cassandras, or your Blons, or even your Emperor Daleks. Mr Finch blows them all out of the water.

Aha, so theyВ’re trying to crack the Scasis Paradigm. Very nice name, clever little concept. Again, itВ’s a shame thereВ’s not more time to explore it. But the image of those children typing furiously away at those terminals (just like IВ’m doing now, come to think of it) is inspired, disturbing, and very Doctor Who.

Gloriously, itВ’s Mickey, K9 and the schoolboy Kenny who end up saving the day. IВ’ve got no complaints that the Doctor wasnВ’t the one who blew up the Krillitanes В– itВ’s not his style to pull the trigger, is it? K9В’s death is such a noble moment, itВ’s easy to forget heВ’s a robot. Sarah is obviously distraught В– itВ’s also easy to forget K9 was, above everything else, her dog. The companionВ’s companion.

ItВ’s difficult for a longtime Whovian not to well up in the final scenes. We want the Doctor to be right В– no more goodbyes В– but when Sarah begs for a last farewell, we somehow understand. People have to move on, they have to evolve. They have to say goodbye. And thatВ’s okay. WeВ’ll still survive.

Thankfully, though, Sarah doesnВ’t have to try and survive without her companion. K9 Mark IV is waiting for her, and sounds pleased to see his mistress. And as they walk off into the distance, I reflect on the past forty-five minutes. Was there something about aliens? I distinctly remember Anthony HeadВ’s incredible performance, and it was great to see Kenny taking the credit for blowing up the school, but the rest belonged to Sarah. And thatВ’s exactly how it should be.

I suppose I should start with the problems and the plot. The Krillitane storyline has been criticized by some for being В‘uncomplicatedВ’ (read: stooopid), and itВ’s true it does have some problems. IВ’ve been disappointed to see how quickly Russell T. DaviesВ’s Doctor Who, at times so wary of imitating the classic series, has begun to imitate *itself* instead. Already this season weВ’ve had another gothic monster story in which the Doctor meets a giant of the Victorian Era (В‘Tooth and ClawВ’), and now we get a kind of fat-free remix of the Slitheen scenario (though minus the В‘laughs,В’ thank god). And not only is the story unoriginal, it's unbelievable as well, as we are asked to swallow that beings whom the Doctor identifies as an incredibly grave threat to the universe would a) allow two complete unknowns to be placed on staff within their undercover operation, and b) let a member of the *press* wander around their HQ with an open invitation! "Imagine how bad things could possibly get," indeed В– these Krillitanes do everything to give themselves away short of buying a full-page ad in В‘Time Out.В’ And the concept of the aliens as composite monsters that take on the characteristics of consumed races is a great one, yet it is hardly borne out by their appearance, unless of course the Krillitanes spent many campaigns conquering one species of giant bat after another. (Seriously, one wonders whether the designer even read that bit of the script).

But let's move on to the good. The storyВ’s guest star, Anthony Stewart Head, can probably be mentioned up front as well; Finch is a bit undercharacterized on paper, but HeadВ’s acting is nicely plummy in the old style, and itВ’s sort of a shame he didnВ’t turn out to be playing the Master after all. But that would have sent the already dangerously over-percolating Nostalg-O-Meter off the charts, and there just isnВ’t room for this to be the MasterВ’s story.

Sarah Jane Smith, having been one of the longer-running companions and having accompanied two of the most popular Doctors, seems like the only choice for a story that mainly leaves the monsters to the kiddies and offers the grown-ups in the audience the long-term implications of companion life instead, via a walk down Fan Memory Lane. And, somewhat surprisingly, В‘School ReunionВ’ does this about as well as could be hoped, especially given the constraints of the 45-min. format. Toby WhithouseВ’s screenplay doesnВ’t manage the depth or wit or poetry of, say, В‘FatherВ’s Day,В’ but it does communicate its sentimental subject matter directly and believably, without lapsing into the heavy-handedness that marred the last big attempt to wrestle with series past (В‘DalekВ’). SarahВ’s bittersweet future is well conceived, and believably played out; and while itВ’s true that her spontaneous scratchfest with Rose seems a touch forced, thereВ’s genuine emotion behind it, and each womanВ’s emotional response to the В‘other companionВ’ seems real.

A sidebar: now, some have suggested that the story projects a love relationship onto the Doctor and Sarah that was never there to begin with. One can make such an argument, I suppose, but I donВ’t think this script ever makes that explicit: when Sarah says В“You *were* my life,В” it seems like a reflection not of Love-With-a-Capital-L, but of the lost В“splendorВ” of travel and adventure. How could an earthbound life compare after her years in the TARDIS? And even if the script implies that the young Sarah, after being unceremoniously В‘dumpedВ’ В– in Aberdeen, hilariously В– developed a retroactive crush on her friend and teacher, well, is that really so hard to believe or accept? She was one of the few companions to leave the TARDIS unwillingly, and her pain at finding herself replaced and unmentioned feels authentic with or without the supposed love angle, so I guess it doesnВ’t bother me either way.

And as for Rose, whose take on the situation as (expectedly) less mature, she is also quite sympathetic as she realizes that maybe В‘herВ’ Doctor isnВ’t quite so lonely as heВ’s let her on to be. If there has been a love story between Rose and the Doctor, itВ’s been a one-sided one to this point, and the knowledge we have of RoseВ’s puppyish crush helps us to feel for her, and to see how her character grows here. Mickey grows as well В– after a whole season of not knowing what to do with him, the production team have finally begun to develop him into interesting companion material. His self-comparison to K9 is funny and fitting В– how often did K9 find himself stuck behind while the Doctor and Leela or Romana went rock-climbing or whatever? And as for K9 himself, he isnВ’t given much to do В– whether this was simply because of time restrictions, or whether it was a bone thrown to all those fans who despise him, is hard to say. Still, I thought John Leeson sounded great В– 25 years have not deteriorated his voice in the way they have, say, Anthony DanielsВ’s. (But thatВ’s another story.)

Four episodes in, IВ’m still not sure I like David TennantВ’s Doctor В– fast-talking, repetitions, and other silly verbal tics aside, I donВ’t really get a sense of his personality yet. Oh, he *acts* a lot В– his half-smile and obvious agitation when the Doctor sees Sarah can hardly fail to please В– but IВ’m not sure the actor has really established who this Doctor is yet, beyond being a sort of lanky, blathering goof. The dark, damaged, preoccupied Eccleston seems long gone, and when this Doctor considers using the KrillitanesВ’ power to undo the Time War, itВ’s an odd, out-of-tune moment. Does this silly Doctor even remember or care about that?

Now, fans have also complained, as fans must, about the continuity problems created by the script ignoring SarahВ’s role in В‘The Five DoctorsВ’ and В‘K9 and Company.В’ It also irked me how the script worked to insinuate that the DoctorВ’s call home in В‘The Hand of FearВ’ had something to do with the Time War (В“Everyone died, SarahВ” В– whatever, Doc). But the continuity patrollers will simply have to work those questions out, and besides, the В‘dueling companionsВ’ monster catalogue scene goes along way towards validating the continuity of the old series in relation to the new, and that should be enough to make most fans very happy.

All in all a thoughtful, if not quite inspired, attempt to reconcile this showВ’s past and future. And Elisabeth Sladen is just marvelous.

"Give Sarah Jane Smith my fondest love. Tell her I shall remember her always." - K-9, in "K-9 and Company", 1981.

"School Reunion" was an extraordinary episode, worthy of both old and new Who. It served as a smart, well-paced adventure that didn't require an understanding of the Doctor's past to appreciate the pathos, fun and seriousness of a "missus meeting the ex" scenario.

It was also a nostalgic trip for fans of Sarah Jane and her trusty tin friend which, sensitively written and acted, added weight to the enigma that is The Doctor.

Whereas we're used to the love story of Doctor Nine/Ten and Rose Tyler, this was about a different, classic series love, rekindled after three decades.

But rather than resorting to a fanw*nky continuity-laden script, bogged down by references to Harry and the Brigadier (bless them) or the second Kraal from the left in 4J, the script was filled with easy-to-follow mentions which served as foundation stones for the situation.

Toby Whithouse's script buzzed; there were crisp one-liners; jousts of claims and counter-claims: "The Loch Ness Monster.... Seriously?"; in-jokes: "You can keep K-9 company......"; and wonderfully considered, touching moments of dialogue ensuring that that this fan blubbed like a baby or laughed out loud through most of the 45 minutes.

The adventure is a well-executed and darn good yarn in itself, but is simple enough not to become more important than the emotional drama unfolding around it.

The actual concept is a good one: alien cherry-pickers invade a secondary school for galactic/dimensional domination by means of children's souls. Far-fetched, but typical, wonderful Who.

The special effects are magnificent, with the Krillitanes very well realised - and almost provided light relief between the emotional bits! But they would surely be scary for the young, and if would-be secondary schoolers aren't just a little bit concerned about what lies in store for them, I'd be surprised.

Murray Gold's use of the orchestra and choir complemented the action admirably, and his use of the Song for Ten was insightful.

The supporting cast are great in this episode, with Tony Head excelling particularly, dripping malevolence from the pre-titles onwards, as he eats young children and staff for lunch.

James Hawes is my favourite director of the new series; his style is pacy and cinematic, and his direction adapts to each different type of story . Here he achieves a lot with a single shot or a well-lit camera angle - a sudden view of a blue box that shocks Sarah Jane into realising her old travelling companion is nearby, a lone tin dog appearing beyond the wheezing and groaning of a disappearing TARDIS, a hug between departing friends. Hawes' direction of the scene where they acknowledge each other is an electric moment for Doctor Who and is truly magnificent television.

The Doctor's reaction is wonderful as he slowly realises Sarah is back. He's seen his friend, whom he probably thought he'd never seen again. He's surprised, and very, very happy. "Oh good for you, Sarah Jane Smith." "My Sarah Jane", back from the companion junkyard of Croydon (near Aberdeen).

And Lis Sladen. What can be said? Always a favourite companion, it was very clever to bring her back alongside the established Rose. One of the few truly self-sufficient companions, SJS was still the same, even in her late fifties. In a moment echoing the Genesis of the Daleks "You must do it" scene, it is Sarah who tries to convince the slightly-tempted Doctor that he mustn't fall in with Finch's plans, as "Everything has its time, and everything ends".

In what should be her swansong, Lis picked up the role she knows so well and gave one of her best ever performances. She was the best thing in "School Reunion", and the good use of her character in terms of emotional development (for her, the Doctor and for Rose) was pure genius.

This is a memorable conclusion for Sarah Jane's story in Who, and at same time managed to deliver real development - after 43 years! - of the Doctor's character.

We get to understand why the other Doctors have sometimes seemed detached. The Doctor cares, but his feelings are compromised by the reality that he lives for hundreds of years. Loved ones will grow old, but he will not: "I lived. Everyone died."

And Rose's story. After all, we can't have an episode of Who without a Rose story! I'm sure her jealousy will develop throughout the series as she comes to terms with the fact that she's not as unique as she may have thought. She initially distrusts SJS' intentions, perhaps believing that,"with the big sad eyes and the robot dog" she will try to take the Doctor away from her. But by the end, they understand each other, with Sarah even suggesting that, post-Doctor, Rose would be welcome to find her. She also offers advice: "Some things are worth getting your heart broken for."

And the nostalgia continued with another truly iconic blast from the past. K-9 was as endearing as ever. He was, indeed, so very "disco", but my affection him has never waned over the years, and I shed another tear or two at the sadness of his demise. But he had been well used, and played an important and amusing role in this episode. He managed to save the day again, giving Mickey a reason to travel in the TARDIS. Now Mickey will need to prove that he's more top dog than tin dog.

All in all, "School Reunion" was in my view the best of the Tennant stories so far. It appealed to new and old viewers alike, and was one of the very strongest of stories emotionally since the series returned.

A strong and brooding opening to this episode with a shot of the windswept highlands was slightly undermined by the proverbial contemporary filmic cod-Celtic pan-pipe incidental music jarringly reminiscent of the rather intrusive and annoying score of the Lord of the Rings trilogy (the worst aspect to an otherwise well-realised trilogy). Nevertheless, this was a strong opening with a noticeably gothic tinge, and sufficiently intriguing to keep one watching. It was palpable from the beginning of this episode that this is RTD's personal answer to the new Who-style pseudo-historical cannon set up dextrously by Mark Gatiss's The Unquiet Dead. The mood of both episodes is similarly subdued and moody (apart from some incongruously farcical elements to early scenes of Unquiet Dead), befitting the dim lighting of the Victorian scenarios. The shots with the monks infiltrating the castle are a little far-fetched and overtly Matrix/Crouching Tiger influenced, sitting very incongruously against the bleak 19thc. Scottish setting, but despite the slightly annoying disorientation of camera angles during these scenes (so typical of modern TV, re Green Wing and even aspects of the recent adaptation of Bleak House), they served their purpose in a peculiar, very Un-Who-ish way, and I was glad to see were largely confined to the opening of the episode.

Much as I love Ian Dury, I found the TARDIS scene rather absurd and typical of RTD's obsession with pumping the new Whoniverse full with allusions to popular culture; where Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick is a track much more palatable than the atrocious Toxic in the End of the World, the Doctor's comment on loving the Muppet Christmas Movie is on the other hand another annoyingly callow reference which doesn't say much for the new Doctor's taste in films, which is ironic as Tennant's incarnation, with his black-rimmed square glasses and scattered hairdo, looks more like an art house film critic. I think attempts to make the Tenth Doctor rather light and fun-loving should be kerbed as soon as possible, as he has more potential than that and there's no need to undermine the intrinsic genius of the character by trying to counter-balance his intellectual powers with kitsch pop-kultur fetishes. Mind you, Ian Dury is a good choice if you're going to insist on the new TARDIS console CD-option - but wouldn't classical music, or the jazz of McCoy's incarnation, be a little more enigmatic? The sheer mundanity of a timeless Sherlockian character choosing, out of all the places and times to visit, an Ian Dury gig in 1979 Sheffield is, to say the least, absurdly unambitious. We now have a further insight into RTD's musical taste - but I'd rather know about the Doctor's.

I liked the fact that Tennant adopts his native accent actually, something I wasn't too sure about prior to the episode, but it does suit him, and he comes across a bit like a bohemian Alan Breck Stewart who's detoured via Brighton on his travels, suddenly stumbling back into Kidnapped - but with Queen Victoria! RTD's obsession with what he terms as historical 'celebrity' is seemingly superfluous generally, and although it was a different writer who penned The Unquiet Dead, one is led to assume RTD specified to Gatiss to make sure a famous historical figure was included. This is unnecessary really and seems a little patronising: as if he assumes the only way the 'chavs' of today will pay any attention to an historical setting is if it is dominated by a famous figure from that period who'll they'll instantly recognise. It's more of a Hartnell-era trait (cue Marco Polo, The Crusade, The Romans, The Gunfighters et al), and something which tended to fizzle out later in the series; but arguably the most impressive of all historical or pseudo-historical Who stories were ones which nicely skirted round any famous figures, only hinting at their contemporaneousness, i.e. Pyramids of Mars, Masque of Mandragora (only just), Talons of Weng-Chiang, Horror of Fang Rock, Black Orchid and so on. Having said all this, I commend both Gatiss and now, for only the second time (the first was on aspects of Parting of the Ways) RTD for both stories' authentically convincing portrayals of said historicals, Dickens and now Queen Victoria. Though it takes a little suspension of disbelief to accept an actress synonymous with the Liverpudlian persona as an austere Victoria Saxe-Coburg Gotha, I have to say Pauline Collins pulled it off fairly well and was arguably one of the highlights of this story; her spiritualistic speech to the Doctor was very well handled by Collins, delivered in a subdued and powerful manner which hinted at the depths of moroseness so intrinsic to this perpetually mourning monarch. The speech also hinted at the long-dormant scriptural abilities of RTD, for only the third time in Who in my opinion (the other two occasions being the Doctor's speech about time in Rose and the restaurant scene in Boom Town); the only other time I witnessed his skills in this regard significantly were during bits of Casanova, smug and implausible though it was.

The less said about Rose in this episode the better. I'm so sick and tired of the 'character', if it she is a character; she's served her purpose now, I think it's time for her to go and for a new companion to step in. Her sole function in this episode seemed to be trying to get Queen Victoria to say 'we are not amused' - ironic really, because we weren't. Or at least, I certainly wasn't.

The initial location shots with the Highland Regiment escorting Victoria were nicely filmed, and throughout there was an air of military authenticity (in terms of uniform detail etc.) that harked back to the Douglas Camfield school of Who. 'I'm Dr Jamie McCrimmon' was a nice touch too. In all surface senses then, Tooth and Claw (a rather fatuous title) is a solidly depicted pseudo-historical; it looks and feels pretty much as it should, despite the odd misplaced haircut or two, and multi-panoramic camera direction; and in many aspects kept to the traditional Who pseudo-historical format in terms atmosphere and period detail. However, there is something about the gas-lit dinginess of Victorian settings which lends itself very easily to 'atmosphere' - it'll be interesting to see how things are handled in The Girl in the Fireplace. Not another Casanova I hope.

The supporting cast all act extremely well, obviously schooled in the Bleak House-earnestness of acting. The scenes with the pallid lycanthrope of unnervingly large brown pupils (reminding me of John Hurt for some reason) in his cage were very well directed and genuinely disturbing (on a par with the screaming lady in Unquiet Dead); so too were the transformation scenes excellently shot, albeit almost identical to those in American Werewolf in London and the superbly affecting Company of Wolves. The CGI realisation of the werewolf itself was also well done, probably helped by the darkly lit setting, and it was a nicely sinister touch to have the beast walking about on its hind legs.

What lets this episode down however is the trademark RTD Scooby-Doo-style run-a-round plot device, which rather takes the edge off what up until then is a nicely crafted, genuinely suspenseful build-up of storyline. And it is in the storyline also that the episode rather flounders, as it isn't very clear what the storyline actually is. It seems about 300 years ago a strange comet crashed into the nearby glen; that ever since there have been rumours of a werewolf in the local vicinity; that it turns out this werewolf is descended from an alien and now wishes to infect Queen Victoria so as to turn the British Empire into an Empire of the Wolf; and that somehow the late Prince Albert was knowledgeable of all of this and thus made sure to keep cutting down the diamond in his wife's possession so as to keep it refined as a sort of protective talisman. Mmm. I'm not quite sure where the monks fit in to all of this, but then I'll need to watch it a second time to get the full gist I suppose. The mistletoe was an interesting touch and a nice turn on the usual silver bullets and garlic. The Doctor's lightning-quick explanation that the werewolf's lack of resistance to the sap of mistletoe was somehow related to how it was trained by the monks was quite interesting in a sense, but again not really explained properly. And this is where RTD still seems to flounder: in properly explaining the background to his 'plots'. Mind you, this was a constant problem with the Cartmel era, especially regarding such scriptural vagaries as Ghost Light (striking though it was in some scenes).

Talking of which, in many ways, albeit mainly superficially, Tooth and Claw seems to share much in common with Season 26's motifs: we have essentially a curse relating to a werewolf, cue Curse of Fenric and its original title, The Wolves of Fenric; then we have what seems like the housemaids from Ghost Light's Gabriel Chase present in identical garbs; there's also an uncanny similarity to Marc Platt's plot, in which an alien is intent on destroying the 'Crowned Saxe-Coburg' in order to take over the British Empire. And the title Tooth and Claw itself brings back memories of the motifs of Survival.

Overall though, on first viewing this was an infinitely superior effort from RTD to last week's sub-standard post-modern Time and the Rani, the achingly grating New Earth. Tooth and Claw is easily the best episode RTD has written so far, despite its many flaws, and one just hopes to God that he will continue to make similar efforts in the future. Tooth and Claw is the first true consolation for the plotlessness of Rose, the idiocy of End of the World, the scatological farce of Aliens of London, the one-dimensionality of Christmas Invasion, the juvenile dullness of New Earth and the all-pervading tedious soap of the Tyler set. It is not nearly as good as it could have been due to too much emphasis on 'action' and monster-dodging over real plot and depth, but it is still RTD's best episode to date and is in itself worthy of the old Who cannon. It is also the first episode in which I think Tennant's Doctor shines: he is fairly charismatic, witty and affecting, and ironically I find him more impressive with a Scottish accent - not such a controversial possibility when one recalls McCoy's rolling r's. For the first time since his rather slapdash debut in The Christmas Invasion, the true Celt is finally surfacing in Tennant's Doctor (perfected by McCoy's brooding harbinger of doom in Curse of Fenric). I'm still not convinced by Tennant in the part, but in Tooth and Claw he's getting a damn site nearer to convincing me. He'll just take some getting used to - but he needs more space to develop, so for goodness' sake can we have less of Rose from now on and more of the Doctor please.

6/10

For two years running Russell T. DaviesВ’ winning formula has succeeded spectacularly. Establish the characters in an episode where they deal with a threat at home, fling them into the far distant future for an outer space romp and then send them into the (relatively) recent past to face a supernatural monster! The third step in that master plan, В“Tooth and ClawВ” has to be one of the best episodes produced since the rebirth of Doctor Who. It has the headline В“Queen Victoria!В”; it has the wonderfully realised monster; it has intriguing characters and most important of all, it has a Doctor that is in his element. Add to the mix some of the best direction that the show has ever seen, and the audience is left with a non-stop 45-minute rollercoaster ride!

В“By what power? The hand of God?В”

В“No. The FIST OF MAN!В”

В“Tooth and ClawВ” begins with one of the best pre-credit sequences ever. In any show. I canВ’t remember who it was (Steven Moffatt I think?) that said В“what elsewhere is called plagiarism in Doctor Who is called homage,В” and in the opening minutes of this episode the show pays homage to some of the best Kung-Fu movies ever as well as stuff like В“The Matrix.В” The fight sequence is simply sublime; it is brilliant performed, shot and scored. The contrast between the red of the monksВ’ robes and the pale background is absolutely stunning, and both Ian Hanmore as Father Angelo and Ron Donachie as the Steward are awesome. The pre-credits sequence also introduces to us whatever is in the cage, giving us that brilliant В‘cliff-hangerВ’ substitute as the screams of Lady Isobel tear into the opening title music.

The energy of Doctor Who is unbelievable. Even in the opening TARDIS scene, neither of the main characters stays still for a second. The Doctor is frantically hitting his В‘rhythm stickВ’ onto the TARDIS console to the sound of Ian Drury, whilst Rose is skipping around after him wearing what looks like an updated version of Sarah Jane SmithВ’s В‘Andy PandyВ’ outfit from В“The Hand of FearВ”! The time travellers arenВ’t slow to get caught up in events as they stroll straight out of the TARDIS and into Queen VictoriaВ’s guards! IВ’m sure that David Tennant appreciated the chance to play the Doctor without his affected mockney accent, just as IВ’m sure that Billie Piper was glad that she didnВ’t have to keep up the comical В“hoots monВ” nonsense for the remainder of the episode! The psychic paper plays its usual effective В“lets save two episodes of paddingВ” role in quickly establishing the Doctor as the QueenВ’s В“Royal ProtectorВ” and weВ’re away, with a little bit of fanwank - В“Doctor James McCrimmonВ” В– thrown in for good measure! I bet Frazer Hines was chuffed!

Ignoring for the moment the wonderful performances of the regulars, the supporting cast of В“Tooth and ClawВ” is absolutely first-class, with the possible exception of the rather wooden Captain Reynolds (Jamie Sives). The obvious standout performances are Derek Riddell as Sir Robert McLeish and Pauline Collins as Queen Victoria. Forced to commit treason and obviously plagued by guilt, McLeish is a character that the audience really can feel sympathy for, especially when his quite obvious hints about all not being well fall upon deaf ears! Doctor Who fans may be familiar with Pauline Collins from her role as Samantha Briggs in the Patrick Troughton story В“The Faceless OnesВ” В– a story in which she enjoyed several scenes of flirtation with a certain Jamie McCrimmonВ… Her portrayal of Queen Victoria couldnВ’t be any further away from Samantha; Collins conveys the QueenВ’s intelligence, bravery and steely resolve brilliantly, aided and abetted by Russell T. DaviesВ’ well-written and well-informed script. I was particularly impressed with the scenes in which her (well documented) grief over Prince AlbertВ’s death is addressed; between them Davies and Collins have really nailed the character. Her killing of Father Angelo is particularly well done. The shaking of her hands and her flustered disposition make both Angelo (and the audience) think that she wonВ’t shoot him, but as her actions prove the Queen is a formidable woman.

В“Every full moon the howling rings through the valleyВ… this is a man who becomes an animal.В”

Ultimately, В“Tooth and ClawВ” will be primarily remembered for the MillВ’s superb C.G.I. werewolf which is an astonishing piece of work for a TV show. When the Doctor first looks upon the creature, he remarks that it is beautiful and heВ’s right on the mark В– I donВ’t think IВ’ve ever seen a better-realised werewolf anywhere. In classic Doctor Who fashion it is used sparingly (and cost-effectively!), the mostly implied presence of the creature making itВ’s brief, visceral appearances even more terrifying. It also means that the fast-paced story has a little time to breathe; much of the brilliance of В“Tooth and ClawВ” comes from how Davies focuses on the reactions of the humans to the werewolf rather than on the creature itself. This also allows the writer to cleverly set up the work done by McLeishВ’s father and Prince Albert В– the В‘wolf trapВ’ as it were В– something that may have suffered were this merely a story about a werewolf on the rampage, killed by an unimaginative silver bullet. Such a story produced as well as this and with a cast as good as this would still have been spectacular, but written as well as it is В“Tooth and ClawВ” is just amazing.

I also enjoyed RoseВ’s brief conversation with the werewolf host prior to his transformation. His calm voice В– a soft, eerie sort of Scottish burr В– really makes the skin crawl, especially when he talks about his plans for the В“Empire of the Wolf.В” This is no mere mindlessly violent creature В– it is an alien life form with a sinister purpose. Big Finish fansВ’ may have caught the allusion to Marc PlattВ’s 2001 fifth Doctor audio play В“Loups-GarouxВ”, when the creature remarks that Rose (like Turlough in that play) has the wolf in her. Although here this isnВ’t explored any further, it alludes to a possible sequel and also helps illustrate how confident Rose has become. Now she is certainly the DoctorВ’s equal, even in arrogance. She barks orders at her fellow prisoners, makes conversation with the werewolf host В– she even repeatedly tries to annoy Queen Victoria into saying В“we are not amused.В” From the QueenВ’s prophetic words at the end of this episode, it appears that our time travellers may be heading for a fall.

В“Books! The best weapons in the world. This room is the greatest arsenal we could have!В”

The В‘base under siegeВ’ story angle is one that has worked very well for Doctor Who in the past, and it has never been done better than it is in this episode. Monks shooting at you on the outside, a werewolf hell-bent on tearing you apart inside В– fantastic! I love the claustrophobic library scene: the visual of the Doctor and the werewolf both sniffing at opposing sides of the wall is unforgettable, but even more impressive is the story itself. Davies again takes the opportunity to show us just how sharp Queen Victoria is; sheВ’s the only one to notice the DoctorВ’s accent bouncing back and forth between Scottish and mockney, her growing mistrust of him becoming more and more evident. I found this interesting because it really goes against Doctor WhoВ’s storytelling convention; Doctor Who stories normally begin with the Doctor on the outside, slowly worming his way into a position of trust with the authorities. In this story, itВ’s precisely the other way around.

Sometimes stories as good as this suffer from В‘cop-outВ’ endings that leaves viewer unsatisfied, and I had a horrible feeling that the mistletoe was going to be such a cop-out. Luckily, the resolution is one of the strongest elements of the story. The DoctorВ’s epiphany about the suspiciously В“rubbishВ” telescope, the diamond, Prince Albert and McLeishВ’s father is beautifully acted and shot; Euros LynВ’s sharp cutting really encapsulates the DoctorВ’s rapid train of thought. The wolf crawling across the glass ceiling is an outstanding set piece, as is its ultimate demise in the light chamber. I was pleased to see that McLeish is given a chance to redeem himself, sacrificing his own life to buy the Doctor some time, and also that the Doctor and RoseВ’s killing of the werewolf isnВ’t out-and-out murder; the host actually pleads for them to turn up the brightness and free it.

I think that scene where Queen Victoria knights both the Doctor and Rose really demonstrates everything that is good about DaviesВ’ writing; everything that is good about this new series of Doctor Who. In less than two minutes, Davies takes us from chucking at Rose becoming В“Dame Rose of the Powell EstateВ” to frowning with concern as the icy Queen exiles both her protectors from the British Empire.

“…you consort with stars and magic and think it fun. But your world is steeped in terror and blasphemy and death and I will not allow it. You will leave these shores and will reflect, I hope, on how you came to stray so far from all that is good and how much longer you can survive this terrible life.”

The QueenВ’s words emphasise what I referred to earlier, the Doctor and RoseВ’s growing confidence and how they literally laugh in the face of danger. Moreover, they also leave the doors wide open for a sequel as we think that Queen Victoria was bitten by the wolf, and we donВ’t know for sure whether she is in fact genuinely reacting against the ungodly Doctor and his В“feral childВ” or if she is in fact being influenced by the loupine cells she may have been infected with. After all, she was certainly defensive about the В“splinter of woodВ” that supposedly cut her. Nevertheless, her words donВ’t seem to have any effect on the Doctor and Rose who laugh all the way back to the TARDIS about the possibility of the 21st century Royal Family being werewolves, contrasting beautifully with the scene of the mourning Lady Isobel talking to the deadly serious Queen about the setting up a certain institution we may be seeing a lot of in the futureВ…

I sincerely hope that the fantastic script, great performances and first class production of В“Tooth and ClawВ” will silence many of naysayers who were quick to condemn the light-hearted romp that was В“New Earth.В” For me, В“Tooth and ClawВ” was almost flawless; one of the best that Davies episodes has penned. The only thing I would pick on is that he missed the perfect opportunity for a В“Bad WolfВ” quip!